Flow-meter construction



May 17, 1932. B. JONES- FLOW METER CONS'fRUCTION Filed May 21. 1928 Mme/7oz ,B carton; ones A 7" TOE/YE I Patented May- 17; 1932 BARTON JONES, 01 L ANGELI J S, cnlro mm mow-mama consraucnon Application'mlekl May '21; 1928. Serial no. 279,399.

In this specification, and the accompanying drawings, I shall describe and show .a preferred form of my invention, and specifically mention certain of its more im- 5 portant' objects. I do not limit myself to the as hereinafter claimed; and objects and ad-vv vantages, other than those specifically mentioned, are included within its scope.

My invention relates to flow-meter construction, and particularly to instruments for this purpose that employ mercury, or other 1 liquid columns, to indicate pressure differences. Its principal objects include; first, the provision of improved means for preventing the loss of indicating liquid when sudden great changes of differential pressure occur in the use-0f such instruments; second, the furnishing of better means than have been available hitherto, for mounting instruments of this type in a plurality of angular positions; third, the supplying of more satisfactory facilities for adjusting such instruments and testing their accuracy of indications; and, fourth, the accomplishing of the above purposes in a simple and relatively inexpensive construction. F My objects are attained in the manner illustrated in the accompanying drawings, showing a typical form of my invention and in which- Figure 1 is an elevation of my improved construction in centralyertical section;

Figure 2 is a plan view of the same, taken on the line 2--2 of Figure land drawn tota reduced scale; and

Figure 3 is an enlarged elevation of a typi- I I cal form of gasket that I employ, as it would appear if a section were taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Similar reference numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

In the drawings a vertical pipe line upon which flow measurements are to be taken serted therein, substantially in the manner indicated. These fittings respectively have pressure passage 30 leads from the face of bores 8 and 9 therethrough, of the same size and substituted for the original flow passage 'of the pipe line. The lowerfitting' has a shallow counterbore in which reposes an orifice plate 10 which is perforated b a central measuring orifice 11, the thic ness of, the orifice plate bein the same as the depth of the counterbore. E gasket 12 is interposed between the horizontal faces of fittings 6 and 7, overlapping the orifice plate, and completes the joint between these fittings.

Fitting fi is provided with alateral flange 13 which is faced in a vertical plane, and a small pressure passage 14 leads frombore 8 to the center of the vertical face of this flange. A' second smalli pressure passage 15 leads from the face of flange 13 into the body ofthe gitting, and then upward to its horizontal ace.

Fitting 7 has a small pressure passage '16 leading from its bore 9 downwardlyto its horizontal face, and asket 12 is provided with an arcuate slot 1 which forms, in 00- operation with the horizontal faces of fittings 6 and 7, a pressure passage that connects pas-' sages 15 and 16. v Fitting 6 is provided with a plug cock 18, intercepting pressure passages 14 and 15', and the cock is provided with transverse bores, one of which is shown at 19, whereby these small passages may be opened or closed at will.

The indicating portion of my invention is shown at the left hand sides of Figures 1 and 2. It comprises a fitting 20 at the top, and a fitting 21 at the bottom. These are permanently joined by a metal tube 22 ,as by weldings 'at 23 and 24.. They are also connected by a replaceable glass indicating tube 25, and by 'a scale plate 26. j l

Fitting 20 is provided with a vertical faced flange 27. J A small pressure passage 28, leads from the center of the face of this flange to tube 22 and also, when so desired, to tube 25 by the opening a needle valve 29. A second flange 27 to the indicating tube 25. Passages 28 and 30 are the same distance apart as passages 14 and 15.

Flanges 13 and 27 are joined by means of the interposed gasket 31; the latter having a central opening 32 and an arcuate slot 33 therethrough, so that passage 14 may communicate with passage 28, and passage 15 with passage 30, when the flanges are assembled in any one of a plurality of angular relations.

- Fittin is provided with a surge chamber 34 -o relatively large, diameter, immediately above indicating glass and with a baflle late 35 having a concave lower face, opposite the upper end of the glass and spaced therefrom.

Lower fitting 21'has a well 36, of substantial size, at the lower end of tube 22 and extending below the O of scale 26. It also has a passage 37 of small size, connect ng the well and the lower end of glass 25.. .A body of mercury 38 fills the lower end of tube 25, passage 37, and part of well 36.- Thequantrty of mercury is such that when there 1s no difference of pressure in tubes 22 and 25, the upper meniscus in each tube will stand at the level of the Oof scale 26. A screw plug 39 is provided for making fine adjustments of the mercury level, by varying the volume of the space that communicates with passage 37. small steel ball 40 floats upon the mercury 1n ,well' 36 and is of such diameter that, if the mercury, should suddenly be forced out of the well by excess pressure in tube 22, it will follow the mercury down and seat itself upon the upper end of passage 37.

Packing glands 41, of any usual and sultable type, provide means for ready replacement of indicating tube 25 and making it pressure tight within the instrument.

After my instrument has been properly po-- sitioned for the measurement of difi'e-rential pressures, in the manner describedand in-" dicated in'the drawing, it is operatedin the following manner our in such an event.

After first closing cock 18, the needle valve 29 is opened to equalize thepressure in tubes 22 and 25. The level of the ercury should then show opposite the 0 of scale 26. If it does not stand at this level, the plug 39 is turned in the proper direction to vary the space communicating with passage 37, until the mercury stands at the 0 level. Needle valve 29 is then closed tight, and cock 18 is opened. The mercury will then immediate ly rise in tube 25 to a height corresponding to the difference in pressures in bores 8 and 9 onthe respective sides of the measuring orificei If there should-be a sudden and violent surge of pressure differential at any time, the baflle plate35 willprevent the mercury, from being jetted out'of the instrument. A con tinued excess pressure is prevented from forcing the mercury out of the i strument by means of the seating of ball 40 that will oc- It will therefore be obvious that my flow-meter construction is well adapted for use where sudden and violent changes of differential pressure are likely to occur; and that neither the instrument or other ap aratus associated therewith will be subjecte to injury by loss of mercury from such causes.

I particularly desire to point out another, and very important, function of steel ball 40. Without the ball, a sudden and sustained great change inthe pressure differential would force all of the mercury into sur e chamber 34. The upward movement of the mercury in tube 25 would not only tend to accelerate, under well known laws as soon as it reached the upper end of the tube; but the acceleration under such conditions would be greatly augmented by the fact that the opposing head of the mercury column would become less and less as the mercury left the tube and flowed into the surge chamber. The mercury leaving the tube last would have a very high velocity, and impinge upon baflle plate 35 with great force. It would thus be broken up into fine particles and some of these might be drawn around the edges of the baffle and escape.

The same result, of breaking up the body of'mercury into fine particles, and losinga portion in this way, might follow a violent forcing of steam or other fluid through the Having thus fully described my invention,

I claim:

1. In combination; a differential pressure gauge having separate passages leading from adjacent points of its exterior surface; a companion d be having separate passages leading from difi'erent sources of pressure to similarly positioned points of its exterior surface; and a gasket ,of substantial thickness interposed between said surfaces and engaging them on its opposite sides; said gasket- .having a hole therethrough opposite one of the passages of each of said devices, and a concentric arcuate slot therethrough opposite the other of said passages.

2. A construction as set forth in claim 1 wherein said devices are adapted for being connected together with said surfaces in a plurality of rotative relations about an axis that is perpendicular to the surfaces, and that is concentric with said hole in the gasket. 1

3. In combination; a differential pressure gauge having separate passages leading from adjacent points of its exterior surface; a companlon device that 1s sultable for insertion in a pipe line, and that has an inte'rme-.

diately obstructed bore therethrough whereby it is adapted for producing difi'erential pressures varying with the rate of flow of fluid in said pipe line, there being separate passages leading from said bore on opposite sides of said obstruction to points on the exterior surface of said companion device that are spaced similarly to the corresponding said points of the gauge; and a gasket of substantial thickness interposed between said surfaces and on aging them on its 0 posite sides; said gas et having a hole theretl irough opposite one of the passages of each of said devices, and a concentric arcuate slot therethrough opposite the other of said passages.

BARTON J ONES. 

